A Temple Fit for Christ
A Sermon on the The Temple of The Holy Spirit from John 2:13-17
Originally preached Nov. 21, 1965
Scripture
13¶ And the Jews’ passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, 14And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: 15And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all …
Sermon Description
What is the condition of the Christian soul? If examined, are elements of unbelief, doubt, uncertainty, misappropriation or sin found there? In this sermon on John 2:13-17 titled “A Temple Meet for Himself,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones looks to Jesus’ cleansing of the temple to instruct the Christian on the importance of examining their souls. Upon becoming a Christian, they become a dwelling place of the Lord Jesus. It is of utmost importance, then, to examine the soul regularly. Has sin found an anchor in the heart because the Christian believes grace and forgiveness are readily available when they finally ask forgiveness? The Christian soul, the dwelling place of the Lord Jesus, should not be a place where selfishness and idolatry take root. The soul is to be examined and cleansed that it might be worthy for the Lord Jesus and to glorify him. May the Christian take heart and be encouraged to regularly examine the state of their souls and be found acceptable for the Lord Jesus Christ.
Sermon Breakdown
- Our souls are temples into which Christ comes to dwell. This is the ultimate in Christian salvation.
- We must examine the state of our souls as Christ examines the temple. What does Christ see in our souls? Sin? Evil? Unbelief?
- Christ's lordship must be recognized. We must take Christ as he is - the Lord. We cannot dictate to him.
- Christ knows everything about us. Nothing can be hidden from him. He examines our innermost thoughts and intentions.
- Christ hates certain things and will not dwell with them. Light cannot mix with darkness. Righteousness cannot mix with unrighteousness. Belief cannot mix with unbelief.
- Christ will act to cleanse his temple. He will scourge and chasten us. This is often surprising and grievous but necessary.
- We must act to cleanse the temple. We must cleanse ourselves of all filthiness and perfect holiness. We must open the door to Christ.
- Christ wants to fully possess us. He wants his temple to be a place where he can dwell. He wants to walk in us and be our God.
Sermon Q&A
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Sermon Questions and Answers
What does the incident of Jesus cleansing the temple teach us about our individual Christian lives?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, Jesus cleansing the temple (John 2:13-17) teaches that our souls are temples in which God desires to dwell. He states: "Our souls are temples into which he comes to dwell. There is our basic and fundamental proposition." Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that Christian salvation is not merely about forgiveness or receiving a new nature, but ultimately about "the dwelling of the Lord Jesus Christ in us." The temple cleansing demonstrates how Christ deals with our souls—examining them, purging what doesn't belong, and preparing them as fitting dwelling places for God.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones explain the relationship between Jesus as Savior and Jesus as Lord?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones strongly rejects the notion that we can accept Jesus as Savior without accepting Him as Lord. He calls this separation "one of the most dangerous things conceivable." He says: "There is no such thing as getting the blessings of forgiveness and pardon without at the same time believing in him as Lord." Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that when Christ died for us, He bought us: "You belong to him. He owns the temple. He's the Lord of the temple." He explains that "the Christian is never free. Never. We are all slaves. And you're either the slave of the devil or you're the slave of the Son of God."
What does Lloyd-Jones identify as Christ's process of making our souls His dwelling place?
Lloyd-Jones describes a two-part process where both Christ and believers have active roles:
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Christ's activity: "He made a scourge of small cords, and he drove them all out of the temple." Lloyd-Jones warns believers to "be prepared for scourging" rather than expecting immediate blessing. He explains: "There will always be a clearing out first. There'll be a process of terrible examination. He'll reveal to you the hidden things of darkness."
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Our activity: "He turns to the sellers of doves, and he says to them, take these things hence." Lloyd-Jones notes that while Christ does the major work, we must actively participate in removing sin from our lives: "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones explain the meaning of Revelation 3:20 about Jesus knocking at the door?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones strongly asserts that Revelation 3:20 ("Behold, I stand at the door and knock") is not an evangelistic text meant for unbelievers, but is addressed to believers. He states: "There's nothing more amazing that people should use that text evangelistically. That is a misuse of it. It's an abuse of it. It's a letter addressed and a word addressed to churches, to believers." He explains that after Christ has done His work of scourging and cleansing, there comes a point where we must respond by opening the door to deeper fellowship with Him. This represents our part in the sanctification process.
According to Lloyd-Jones, what is the ultimate purpose of Christian salvation?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that the ultimate purpose of Christian salvation is for God to dwell in believers. He quotes 2 Corinthians 6, saying: "Ye are the temple of the living God. As God hath said, I will dwell in them and walk in them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people." Lloyd-Jones defines essential Christianity as "that you know that God is in your soul, walking about in it and dwelling in it, taking up his abode in it, and that Christ sups with you, eats and drinks with you, and you know him whom to know is life eternal." He emphasizes this goes beyond forgiveness or merely "taking a decision" to encompass the living reality of divine indwelling.
The Book of John
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.